June 26, 2025
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 26.06.2025, 13:55
Meeting – The President of Romania, Nicuşor Dan, will participate, on Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, in the European Council meeting. The heads of state and government of the member countries will address a wide range of strategic topics for the future of the European Union, the objective being to advance towards a more competitive and secure Europe, in the interest of its citizens, as well as to consolidate the EU’s position as a predictable and reliable actor at a global level – the Romanian Presidential Administration reports. According to the source, the topics addressed during the meeting will include: the situation of the war in Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East, security and defense in Europe, the European Union as a global actor, competitiveness, internal security, support for the Republic of Moldova and the Western Balkans and migration issues. The EU leaders will also highlight the importance of security and stability in the Black Sea region, welcoming the EU Strategy for the region, published last month. President Dan will highlight that Romania, as a key player in the region, will be actively involved in the implementation of this strategy. Before the Brussels meeting, the Romanian head of state participated in the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands.
Rating – The Romanian government is determined to balance public finances and implement responsible economic policies – this is the message conveyed by the Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan during Wednesday’s meeting in Bucharest with representatives of the Fitch rating agency. In August, the agency will make an assessment and decide whether or not to improve Romania’s rating, as the authorities try to avoid being downgraded to the junk category – not recommended for investment. In their turn, Standard&Poor’s and Moody’s will make recommendations based on the assessments they will carry out in September and October.
Flag Day – The National Flag Day is celebrated today in Bucharest, through a ceremony taking place in the area of the National Military Circle. Similar ceremonies will take place in garrisons across the country. On the occasion of National Flag Day, the soldiers from the Invictus Romania team will mark the event by climbing the Omul Peak in the Bucegi massif (south). This initiative will culminate with the soldiers, Invictus volunteers and civilians unfurling a national flag, measuring approximately 100 meters, which symbolizes national unity. The National Flag Day is celebrated every year on June 26.
Weather – The capital Bucharest and 12 counties in southern and western Romania are under a Code Orange alert for heat and severe thermal discomfort today. In these areas, the heat wave will intensify, with maximum temperatures of 38 – 40 degrees Celsius, and lows between 20 and 24 degrees C, characteristic of a tropical night. Also in force today is a Code Yellow alert for heat and high thermal discomfort in the northwest, partially in the center, south and east, where maximum temperatures will be between 35 and 37 degrees C, and minimums between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius. The heat wave will persist on Friday in most of the country. In Bucharest, there will be thermal discomfort and a maximum temperature of 38 degrees C.
Tokyo – Thursday is dedicated to Romania in the official program of the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, where our country is present with its own pavilion. The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in Bucharest will hold two concerts, and in the most important concert of the day, the orchestra will be conducted by Gabriel Bebeşelea, and the soloist in the famous “Balad” by Ciprian Porumbescu is the violinist Rafael Butaru. The program includes works by Enescu, Ligeti, Porumbescu, Rogalski, Dvořák, Saint-Saëns, Wagner, Verdi and Bizet.
Swimming – The Romanian Olympic champion David Popovici qualified on Thursday for the 200m freestyle final at the European Under-23 Swimming Championships in Samorin (Slovakia), with the fastest time in the heats. Popovici, Olympic champion in the 200m freestyle and bronze medalist in the 100m freestyle, won in his heat at the start of the European competition with a time of 1 min 46 sec 84/100. The 200m final also takes place on Thursday. David Popovici is the leader of the Romanian delegation, which is participating with a group of 13 athletes at the European Under-23 Swimming Championships in Samorin, between June 26-29. (LS)
